


Not Bad

by lasvegas_lights



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Artist AU, DrummerWolf, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-15 11:38:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasvegas_lights/pseuds/lasvegas_lights
Summary: Amanda moves in to a new artists studio to work on some paintings for an upcoming exhibition and quickly makes friends with the other studio residents, including one gruff but attractive photographer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired heavily by [this awesome graphic set by thatfaerieprincess](http://thatfaerieprincess.tumblr.com/post/174081559645/some-rowdy-artists-au-moodboards-next-up-i-may). Thanks for letting me write something for it! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

The key slid into the lock easily and with a twist of her wrist, the door swung open. Light flooded into the hallway and Amanda winced as she stepped into the large room.  
  
As her eyes got used to the bright sun reflecting off the crips white walls from the large window on the other side of the room, she took in the tub sink in one corner and a built in floor to ceiling cupboard in the other. The rest of the room was empty, waiting for her equipment to arrive and fill up the space.  
  
There was a faint smell of drying paint still hanging in the air from the walls being cleaned up and Amanda crossed the room to lift up the sash window. Warm air rushed in and she made a mental note to pick up a fan for the studio.  
  
A sudden rap-rap on the door had her spinning on the spot.  
  
“Knock knock!”  
  
Her eyes fell on a hispanic man standing in the threshold. The stranger was well built with shaggy black hair, facial hair across above his upper lip and a variety of visible tattoos including a perfect circle around his left eye. She pushed down the urge to ask him about it and instead smiled at her visitor.  
  
“Are you the welcoming committee?” she asked, crossing back over to the door.  
  
“Something like that,” he replied with a half shrug. “I’m Cross.” He held out a hand towards her and she shook it.

“Amanda.”

“Welcome to Rowdy3, Amanda.”

“You’re gonna have to explain the name at some point you know,” Amanda grinned.

“You got a few hours?” Cross raised an eyebrow.

Amanda nodded. “And beer.”

Cross brought both hands to his heart and gasped. “You’re one of us!”

Amanda laughed.

“So what’s your poison?”

“Hmm?”

“Me? I work with metal, iron mostly. I have a studio for my materials and other shit but I’m normally at the forge set up out back.”

“Oh! I paint, acrylic, sometimes oils.” Amanda looked back at her empty studio. “Well, I will when my stuff arrives, my brother’s bringing it over in his van later,” she explained.

“How about I give you a tour of the place while you wait?” he suggested.

“Lead the way.” Amanda dropped her bag by the door and motioned back down the hallway.

Cross took a large step backwards to let Amanda out of the room and then slung an arm over his shoulders to guide her forwards.

“There’s six of us in total here, you included,” Cross began. He led her back down the corridor, stopping outside a closed door. There was a large metal B nailed to the door and there was fingerprint smudges of colour up and down the stained wood. From inside the room, Amanda could hear thumping music which left the door vibrating in the jamb.

Cross lifted a fist to the door and banged on it until the music was turned off. Footsteps came towards the door and then a woman with brightly coloured hair was standing in front of them.

“Hey! You must be the newbie” The rainbow hair hung loosely over her shoulders, the colour continuing down her arms and over her hands from drying paint and pastels. There was a splodge of blue on the tip of her nose.

“Bea, this is Amanda, Amanda, Bea,” Cross introduced the pair. “Bea likes her paints too, as you can see.”

“Anything with colour really,” she explained with a grin. “What do you paint?”

“People, mostly.”

“Oooh, like life drawings? If you need a model let me know.” Bea winked at Amanda. “I gotta get back to my canvas, see you guys later okay?” She closed the door and Amanda blinked. A moment later the music was blaring through the door once more.

“Did she…?”

“Yup.” Cross nodded. “Don’t worry, she’s like that with all of us.”

He tugged Amanda further down the hall to another door, this one ajar. Cross let himself into the room without invitation, pulling Amanda in with him. Amanda’s jaw dropped at the intricate wire sculptures hanging from the ceiling. The breeze from the window was making them spin and sway slowly. It had Amanda so mesmerized she almost missed the figure with his back to them, working away at an old desk.

“Yo.” Cross poked the young man who hadn’t yet noticed their arrival.

The man jerked in surprise and twisted in his seat. “Oh! Hi Cross!” He grinned at them both easily. He looked young and there was an innocent look in his eyes which made Amanda instantly want to look after him even though he was probably older than her.

“Vogel, meet Amanda, our newest member of our ragtag band of artists.”

“Your sculptures are amazing,” Amanda said, her eyes still roaming the room and the different shapes he had manage to make out of thin wire.

“Thanks!

“Annoyingly talented isn’t he?” Cross said, more admiration than heat in his voice. It was clear already how much the residents of Rowdy3 Studios got along.

“We’re all meeting at the bar later, you coming?” Cross asked Vogel.

“Sure.” Amanda watched them fistbump and then followed Cross back out of the room.

“Where next?” she asked.

“Gripps,” Cross answered, directing Amanda to another room further down the corridor.

Once again Cross let himself into the studio, pulling Amanda along with him. Whilst the other rooms she had visited had been bright and white, Gripps’ studio was painted a warm grey. Wooden shelves covered one wall, each shelf filled with black sketchbooks. Everywhere she looked there was sheets of paper with charcoal and ink drawings. Ink stained every available surface and there was a thin layer of charcoal dust on the floor that crunched under Amanda’s shoes. The room smelt strongly of coffee from a jug sitting on a machine in one corner and it was making Amanda crave a hit of caffeine. The space was warm and inviting and Amanda just wanted to curl up on the nearby empty chair with a steaming mug and a book.

Gripps was a black man with broad shoulders, an unshaven jaw and a beanie hat pulled over his ears. He greeted his visitors with a hug each.

“Nice studio,” Amanda told him.

“Come over anytime, there’s always coffee on,” Gripps offered.

“I might just take you up on that.”

They stayed and talked for nearly half an hour in the end, Amanda fascinated by the way Gripps spoke about his art and the passion behind each drawing.

Finally, Cross pulled Amanda out of the room and to the second to last door in the corridor.

“This is Martin...let yourself in without knocking on pain of death.” Cross knocked on the door.

After a few moments of silence, he knocked again. Again, there was no response.

“Huh, he must be processing.”

“Processing?”

“Martin’s our resident photographer, he has his own dark room in there.”

“Which is why you don’t just walk in without knocking,” Amanda realised.

Cross nodded. “We’re all made that mistake at least once...don’t worry, he’s all bark, no bite.”

“Good to know.”

“He’ll be at the bar later, you can meet him then.” Cross gave her some jumbled instructions on how to get to their regular haunt a few streets away and then disappeared into the last door in the hallway, not before making Amanda promise to come for drinks with the gang. Amanda was actually looking forward to it. She hadn’t made friends since moving to San Francisco and had been forced to hang out with her brother and his friends since her arrival. They were great but they didn’t get her and or her artistic lifestyle.

She wandered slowly back to her studio and dropped to the floor by her bag. Her boots thunked against the floorboards as she stretched out her legs. Reaching into her bag, she fished out her phone and read the message on the screen, telling her that Todd was running late and sighed.

She needed a cigarette.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was low and red in the sky when Amanda pushed open the door of Wendimoor. The bar was dark and cool with a smell of malt in the air. The temperature was a relief after hauling her paints and canvases into her studio. It had taken several trips after her brother’s decision to stay in the air conditioned van couldn’t be changed and then it had taken her almost as long again to unpack it all ready to begin work tomorrow.

As her eyes adjusted to the low light she spotted Cross, Vogel, Bea and Gripps sitting in a large booth in the back. Cross’ eyes lit up when he spotted her and waved her over before forcing them all to slide down to make a space for her at the end.

"You made it!" Cross grinned at her lazily. By the looks of the empty glasses and bottles on the table the group had been sat there a while waiting for her. 

"Next round's on me," Amanda placed her bag down in the gap and retrieved her purse from inside. “What can I get everyone?”

She memorised each order from the group and then made her way over the counter. The bar was quiet enough that the single bartender greeted her straight away and began dealing with her list of ordered drinks.

The door swung open as she finished paying and Amanda’s head spun to see the newest patron of Wendimoor. The man was tall, filling the doorway with broad shoulders and long legs. His bright white mohawk added another inch of height and his dark beard, glasses and well-fitting vest added to the look he was clearly going for.

Amanda gulped.

His sharp eyes scanned the room, pausing on the group in the booth and then continuing on to land on Amanda. She tried not to react as he headed in her direction but she was suddenly hyper aware of his presence. Coming to a stop beside her, he rested his arms against the counter and waved at the bartender. He was clearly a regular visitor as the bartender greeted him with a nod and immediately pushed a beer bottle over to him without being asked.

Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed him turn and then she felt his eyes on her and it felt like her skin was burning. She hoped to God her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. Taking a steadying breath, she turned her head and confidently met his gaze.

“Can I help you?”

He didn’t respond and instead brought the bottle to his lips to gulp some of it down. She watched the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the liquid and couldn’t stop herself from swallowing also.

She jerked in surprise when Cross appeared suddenly, ruining the moment by pushing himself in between her and the man and throwing an arm over them both. “You two meet at last, Martin, this is Amanda, she moved into the empty studio space today.”

The man, _Martin_ , didn’t take his eyes off Amanda as Cross chatted away. Cross seemed to be oblivious and reached for the drinks Amanda had ordered to take them back to the booth.

“You’re the photographer,” Amanda realised.

“You’re the painter,” he replied knowingly.

“How did you know I paint?” she couldn’t help but sound surprised.

“News travels fast.” His lips quirked into an almost smile. “Welcome to the gang.”

“Thanks.” Amanda grinned back.

“You two gonna join us or what?” Bea shouted across the room. Martin motioned for Amanda to lead the way and she picked up her bottle before returning to the booth, sliding into the spot reserved by her bag. Martin dropped onto the leather bench on the opposite side.

As the group interrogated her on everything from which art college she attended to her family history, she noticed Martin’s eyes on fixed her on more than one occasion. There was an intense look in his eyes that made her hot and bothered. Good to know the attraction was mutual.

One by one the artists left for the night until only Martin and Amanda were left. The booth, now too big for the two of them was abandoned and they moved back over to the bar, sliding onto a couple of fixed stools.

As they talked and drank, Martin seemed to relaxed beside her. In between trips outside to share smokes, Amanda discovered that not only was Martin unbelievably hot, he was also passionate about art, loved the same music as she did and actually listened with interest when she talked about her life. He also made her laugh as he told a story involved Vogel, a dog, and a tray of slushies which had Amanda choking on her drink.

“I hear you only paid for six months,” Martin brought up out of nowhere. 

Amanda raised an eyebrow, wondering how on earth he knew. “My agent has booked a space for me for an exhibition, I have six months to produce fifteen new works,” she explained.

“It could be big for you? The exhibition?”

Amanda nodded. All she needed was one good show and she could travel wherever she liked, paint whatever she liked. “Could be...no pressure right?”  She huffed out a laugh as she traced the damp rim of her glass. The drink had been drunk and the ice had melted a while ago.

There was definitely a pleasant buzz of alcohol running through her system and she knew Martin was in a similar state. His body leaned in towards her enough to feel the heat emanating off him and smell the distinct smell of his photography chemicals. She wanted to trace the black ink on his hands and feel the scratch of beard against her skin and wondered if he was thinking similar thoughts about her.

She didn’t have to wonder for long. With a unexpected gentleness, he carefully tucked a lock of loose hair back behind her ear and leaned in close until his lips were almost pressed against her earlobe. A shiver slid deliciously down her spine, leaving her toes curling inside her boots.

“Want to come back to mine?”

Amanda found herself nodding.

In silence, Martin dug into his back pocket and threw a pile of crumpled notes down next to their collection of empty bottles. Sliding off his stool, he opened his hand out towards her, palm up and she placed her own hand inside it.

She wobbled slightly as she stood up, feeling the effects of the alcohol and was grateful for the hand holding hers to hold her steady. It was dark when they stepped out of the bar together and the temperature a lot cooler than it had been when they had entered. Her body shook and goosebumps appeared along her forearms and she kicked herself for leaving her jacket back at the studio.

A moment later Amanda felt Martin tug her closer and wrap an arm around her waist to help warm her up. The hard planes of his body pressed against her side and it left her mouth dry and knees weak. There was a strength emanating off him that made her feel safe against him. 

The moment was rudely interrupted by her phone ringing from inside her bag. She groaned as she dug around inside until her hand found the vibrating device. As she caught sight of who was calling she groaned and pressed answer, reluctantly pulling away from Martin.

“What?....Are you kidding me right now?.....No, I know…fine…I said fine Todd, I’ll be there!” She hung up the phone with a huff of annoyance. “My brother,” she sighed “His cat got loose, he needs help looking.”

Martin nodded in understanding, a fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes that Amanda almost missed. He leaned forward and ducked down to place a kiss against her cheek. “See you tomorrow?”

“If I’m not in jail for killing my only sibling,” she joked weakly. She could still feel his lips on her skin and she cursed her idiot brother for ruining her evening.

He waved down a taxi for her and waited by the curb as she climbed in. As the car pulled away and began in the direction of Todd’s apartment, she hoped to herself that whatever she and Martin had started wasn’t over just yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is here! Thanks for all the nice comments so far, hope you like this instalment. Chapter 4 will be up sometime on Sunday.

Amanda stood in front of her blank canvas cupping a mug of rapidly cooling coffee in both hands. She was grateful to Gripps, who after seeing her bloodshot eyes, immediately handed her the mug he had just poured for himself. It had taken her and Todd hours to find Sharky the cat, trembling and mewling underneath a house one street down. They finally coaxed her out with some dinner and a feather toy, looking no worse for wear. By the time Amanda has made it back to her apartment, she was tired, cold and sober and had simply flung herself on top of her bed fully clothed.  
  
When she woke up nine hours later, she had been tempted to just wear what she had fallen asleep in and head to the studio but quickly remembered Martin would be there and spent another hour showering and picking an outfit she hoped he would appreciate. She felt at least half human when she arrived at Rowdy3 where she had headed straight for Gripps’ room.

As the caffeine began to do its job, inspiration was frustratingly slow to come. She hated staring at an empty canvas, it was practically taunting her. She paced back and forth tapping her fingernails against the ceramic mug. She just needed to find a muse, something to kick-start her creativity. Somehow she knew she wouldn’t find it in her studio.

Through the wall she heard the thumping of Bea’s music. Making her mind up, she gulped down the rest of her coffee, placed the dirty mug into the sink and trudged out of the room. Standing outside Bea’s studio, she banged hard on the door to be heard over the music and waited for the music to stop and for Bea to open the door.

“Hey!” Bea greeted. Amanda didn’t know how long Bea had been working for but her hands and arms were already covered in paint up to her elbows. “Come on in.” Bea disappeared back into the room, leaving the door open for Amanda to follow.

“What time did you end up leaving last night?”

“ _Late,_ ” Amanda replied as she found a chair propped up against a wall and dropped down onto it. She took in the large piece of paper on the floor and the elaborate patterns Bea had somehow created on it with her fingerprints. Now she understood the ever present colours staining Bea’s skin.

“With Martin?” Bea looked over at Amanda with a smirk and sparkling eyes.

 “Technically, yes,” Amanda answered honestly, unable to hide her own smile. “The night ended with Martin calling me a cab, I had a family thing come up.”

“Disappointing, I was hoping for a little bit of gossip,” Bea pouted. “I saw the way he was looking at you all night.”

“Sorry I failed you,” Amanda laughed. Martin hadn’t been at all subtle last night and it made her feel good thinking back to the way he looked at her. She watched Bea work for a few minutes as she dipped both hands into trays of paint, knelt down by the edge of the paper and let her fingertips glide across the surface leaving trails of paint in their wake.

“Does Martin...is he…” Amanda didn’t know how to broach the subject.

“You trying to ask how many women there might be?” Bea guessed, glancing up at her.

Amanda sighed and nodded, her shoulders sagging. A part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to know if she had nearly been another notch on his bedpost.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“I don’t?” she asked, unconvinced.

Bea shook her head. “He’s one of the good ones.”

“You and he never…?” Amanda prodded.

Bea laughed so suddenly she snorted, leaving Amanda taken aback. “Sorry, the thought of me and _Martin,”_ she explained. “I’m not his type and he’s definitely not mine.” She nodded to a photo tacked to the wall of Bea with her arms around a woman with pink hair.

“How long have you and her been together?”

“Going on two years now.” Bea’s eyes lit up as she began to talk about her girlfriend. Elizabeth (or Lizziebit as Bea called her) was a veterinary assistant, kept bringing home abandoned animals to look after and baked the most amazing cookies (according to Bea).

“You’ll meet her soon, she tries to come over whenever her shift finishes early, I’ll bring her over next time she’s in,” Bea promised.

“I look forward to it,” Amanda said. “Now, I really should leave you to it and get back to work, my canvases won’t paint themselves.”

“Okay.” Bea shrugged as Amanda rose from her seat and began making her way towards the door. “Or you could go visit Martin...he was in way before me, could probably use a break.”

Amanda rolled her eyes as she reached the threshold. “You’re terrible. 

“That wasn’t a no,” Bea grinned. “Close the door behind you would you?”

Amanda did as she was asked and a moment later Bea’s music was back on. Standing in the middle of the hallway, she looked down towards her studio, the door open and the white walls staring back at her. Twisting her neck, she looked down towards Martin’s studio, the door closed.

Making her mind up, she headed towards the closed door. She took a deep breath and knocked.

“Just a minute!” Martin shouted from inside the room.

Amanda didn’t know how long she waited outside his room. For a split second she thought about running back to her room and shutting the door but the moment passed and she stayed until the door opened enough for Martin to pop his head through. Behind him was a thick black curtain to help block out any light.

“Hey, want some company?” she asked.

Martin didn't seem bothered by the interruption and cracked a smile when he saw who it was. “Sure.” The door opened a few more inches, enough to let Amanda through and then was closed behind her quickly. He lifted the curtain enough for him and Amanda to duck under and suddenly Amanda was in a glowing red dark room. Trays of chemicals sat in a row along a bench and there were photos everywhere pinned up to lines of string to dry.

“I dabbled in photography back at college,” Amanda revealed as her eyes adjusted to the low light.

“Yeah?” Martin stepped up behind her.

“I liked it.” Amanda turned to face Martin, her neck arching up to meet his eyes. “I just loved painting more.”

Martin hummed in response. “You find the cat?”

Amanda nodded. “Sorry things got interrupted.”

“Me, too,” he admitted.

She felt his hands go to her waist, his thumbs pressing into the skin just above the hip bone. He gently pushed her backwards until her ass hit the bench. He carefully slid the trays of chemicals further down to make a space and then lifted Amanda onto the work surface before stepping into the space between her legs.

“What you working on?” She asked, momentarily distracted by the photography equipment.

“Photos.”

It was clear Martin didn’t want to talk about his work at that particular moment. Cupping her cheeks with both hands, he leaned in until their foreheads were pressed together. His fingers threaded through her hair and he traced her cheekbones with his thumbs.

Amanda couldn’t help the way her breathing hitched or the way her heart thudded in her chest so hard she swore Martin could hear it. She didn’t know what it was that made her so infatuated with this man so much and so quickly, but she didn’t care as long as he kept touching her.

“Wanna to continue where we left off?” he asked.

Her hands slid around his waist and up his back to feel the muscles at work there. “And where was that exactly?”

“Somewhere ‘round here I think.” His hands tilted her head up gently and he brought his mouth towards hers.

Before their lips could finally meet, there was a knock at the door. Martin pulled away suddenly and swore under his breath. His spine popped as he straightened his back.

“Seriously?” Amanda groaned.

The person knocked again. “Martin?” It was Vogel. “There’s a delivery outside for you and the guy won’t hand it over to anyone but you.”

“I’m coming!” he shouted back before directing his attention back to Amanda “Stay?”

She nodded.

He turned to leave but paused midstep. With a look of determination in his eyes, he returned to the spot between Amanda’s thighs, slid one hand around the back of her hair and brought her back in for a quick and dirty first kiss. Before Vogel could knock again, Martin pulled away, leaving Amanda gasping for breath. Even in the dark room Amanda could see the satisfied grin on his face as he left.

As she waited for Martin to return, she began formulating a plan which involved uninterrupted time alone with him, lots of it and _soon_.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Amanda groaned in frustration as she stared at her latest painting. It just wasn’t working the way she wanted it to. Lifting it off the easel, she threw it onto a pile of other discarded canvases and lifted a new blank one into place. 

She placed her palette down on a nearby chair and stood in front of the white square, waiting for inspiration to hit. It had been a week since moving into the studio and so far none of the paintings she had started had been good enough for the exhibition. They were all lacking  _ something _ , she just couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“It’s not going to paint itself, y’know.”

Amanda jerked in surprise and spun around to glare at Martin who was leaning against the doorpost, his arms folded across his chest. “Don’t do that!”

He huffed out a laugh in response. As she turned back to stare at her canvas, she heard him enter the room and then felt him come to a stop behind her. Whilst her artistic talent might have been missing, she was more than making up for it in the romance department. After a pretty heavy make-out session in Martin’s dark room, Amanda was now completely smitten with the gruff photographer. She hadn’t come to San Francisco looking for a man yet somehow she and Martin had just fitted together like jigsaw pieces. 

Every day since her arrival he had ventured out of his studio to come see her, sometimes bringing her some of Gripps’ coffee, other times he would drag her out for some fresh air and the two of them would go sit out in the sun. There was a rickety bench outside, just opposite Cross’ forge and they would watch Cross work, pass a cigarette back and talk until it was time to return inside. After he asked her back to his place on her first night, they hadn’t yet made it to a room with a bed but she knew it was only a matter of time.

His hands went to her shoulders and she moaned low in her throat as his thumbs pressed into her sore muscles. 

“If you stop right know, I might have to kill you,” Amanda threatened. Her eyelids fluttered shut as he continued to massage her. 

“Wouldn’t want that.” Martin pressed in deeper when he found a particularly big knot in her right shoulder. “You should take a break,” he suggested softly, punctuating it with a kiss to her nape. 

“What do you suggest?” she sighed. 

“I’m done for the day, was gonna head home, have a cool one, cook a steak.”

Amanda’s lips curved into a smile. “Sounds nice.”

“I have enough beer and steak for two.”

“I should definitely take a break then,” she said, agreeing with Martin’s earlier suggestion. Reluctantly, Amanda opened her eyes and pivoted on the spot to face Martin.

Martin’s hands moved from her shoulders to running up and down her sides. Her hands linked together around his neck and she rose up on tiptoes to kiss him. 

After separating, Amanda grabbed her bag, switched off the overhead light and followed Martin out of the door. He waited for her to lock up and then they headed out together. 

Martin’s apartment was small but homely with bits of photography equipment sitting most available surfaces. Every wall was covered with framed prints, some moody and abstract, others colourful and all about shapes and patterns. She had seen some of his work already but she was always impressed by the eye he had for capturing something special. At the other end of the open plan kitchen living area there was a balcony with a table and chairs large enough for everyone at Rowdy3 to sit around. 

“Make yourself comfortable.” Martin left her side and headed straight for the fridge to retrieve two ice cold bottles. Meanwhile, Amanda sat down on the soft worn couch, slipped off her sandals and brought her feet up beside her. The couch was seriously the most comfortable thing she’d ever sat on. 

“Oh my God, I’m never leaving this couch.” Amanda sank further into the cushions and groaned. 

“Fine with me,” Martin murmured as he returned with the beers. Even though the couch was big enough for three or four, Martin tucked in close to Amanda’s side, lifted her feet up to rest her legs across his lap and then handed her one of the bottles. They clinked and took a couple of gulps in comfortable silence. 

“Is it weird?” Amanda asked a moment later, enjoying the way his thumb stroked across her knee in soothing circles. 

“Is what weird?”

“This...us..it’s barely been a week but-” Amanda didn’t know how to finish her sentence. All she knew was that she had fallen hard and fast. There was no first time jitters or awkward misunderstandings as they got to know each other. They just...worked.

Martin’s hand paused and for a split second Amanda worried that she shouldn’t have brought it up. 

“I know what you mean,” he finally answered, meeting Amanda’s gaze

Slowly, Amanda reached for Martin’s beer and placed both bottles on the floor out of the way. He looked at her questioningly for a moment but quickly caught on to her plan as she maneuvered herself around until she was straddling him, her knees pressing down into the cushions either side of his thighs. His hands automatically went to her hips to keep her steady and the way he moaned low under his breath told her he was enjoying having her weight pressing down on him. She rolled her hips slowly and when he swore, she tried not to look too pleased with herself.

As they kissed, she could feel his hands begin to wander. First sliding up her back, his fingertips teasing the straps of her top before they traveled back down, continuing on further until his hands were splayed out across her ass. She she continued to move her hips teasingly and she could feel the effect it was having on him. He was having a similar effect on her as his hands slid back around to her front and dipped under her shirt to feel the warm skin underneath. 

They were forced to separate only when oxygen became necessary and Amanda found herself grinning like an idiot as they tried to get their breath back. 

“Bedroom?” Amanda questioned. 

“You sure?” Martin checked and Amanda’s smile widened. Bea was right, he really was one of the good ones. She nodded in the affirmative and kissed him again. She was becoming seriously addicted to his lips on hers. 

Amanda climbed off Martin’s lap and offered a hand towards Martin. He took the hand and with a yank, he was up on his feet. His grip tightened and he tugged her across the room and down a short corridor to his bedroom. The door was kicked open and as soon as they neared the bed Amanda took charge, pushing Martin down to sit on the covers. She stepped up in between his legs and wasted no time in grabbing the edge of her shirt and pulling it over her head. 

Martin mirrored her actions, getting rid of his shirt and discarding it on the floor. The sight of Martin’s chest, a mix of hard lines and tattoos had Amanda’s mouth going dry and all she wanted to do was trace the ink with her tongue.

“You just gonna stand there?” Martin teased.

“Just admiring the view,” she replied, quickly pushing her skirt down her legs before being kicked off and across the room. 

His hands slid around the back of her thighs to tug her even closer and then began travelling upwards at a frustratingly slow pace. He looked up at her, taking every inch of her in, the hungry look in his eyes leaving her breathless. 

“Likewise,” he responded, sounding a little less in control than normal. 

Without hesitation, she climbed back onto Martin’s lap, enjoying the feeling of skin against skin for the first time. Using her weight, she pushed him down onto the bed, covering his body with hers. 


	5. Chapter 5

Amanda woke up slowly, warm and comfortable and  _ definitely _ not in her own bed. There was an arm laying heavy over her waist and she could hear Martin breathing softly next to her. Her muscles ached and she could feel the telltale heat of beard burn on the inside of her thighs but she couldn’t help the smile that split her face as she thought back to the night before. 

Her evening had been pretty close to perfect. After relieving tension in the best possible way, the couple had dressed to cook some food and finish their discarded beers. Amanda had teased Martin by choosing to only wear one of his shirts, the hem ending mid thigh and eventually Amanda was being carried back to the bedroom for round two and three. She had fallen asleep sweaty, sated and curled up tight against Martin’s equally worn out body.  

She shifted under the covers to look at Martin, still sleeping deeply. His hair had lost its spiky height thanks to the pillow his head was sunk into and the sheets had dropped enough for Amanda to see the hickeys she’d left on his chest. In the bright morning light, his tattoos stood out starkly on his pale skin and as she looked closer she noticed scars she hadn’t seen the night before. She wanted to know all about every mark on his body and hoped she would have plenty of opportunities to find out. 

An idea struck Amanda and she carefully slid out from under Martin’s arm. She grabbed a nearby blanket, wrapped it loosely around herself and tiptoed out to the living room. From inside her bag she retrieved the sketchbook she carried with her everywhere and a couple of pencils that had fallen to the bottom.

Returning to the bedroom, she was relieved to see she hadn’t woken Martin up and carefully climbed back on the bed. Sitting cross legged on the mattress, she opened the sketch pad up on her lap and brought pencil to paper. 

The long strokes and shapes started loose and vague and as she worked the drawing became more detailed and intricate. Every now and again she would return her gaze to her subject to ensure she was capturing him correctly. Narrowing her eyes, she took in every curve and mark and replicated them on paper. She captured his long eyelashes and strong jaw and then spent a long time trying to get his lips just right. 

She blinked when there was a sudden clicking sound from beside her and she looked round to see Martin awake and peering at her from behind a camera. She had been so wrapped up in her drawing she hadn’t noticed him wake.

“You’re photographing me?” she raised an eyebrow. She glanced down briefly to make sure she was decent.

Martin put the camera down on the bed and gave her a half shrug. “You’re drawing  _ me, _ ”  he retorted. 

“I was inspired.”

“Same.” Martin smiled at her sleepily. “C’mere.” He extended his right arm and Amanda moved into the open space, lying herself down snug against Martin. His arm went around her waist once more and his free hand rested on her bare thigh. 

“What do you think?” Amanda tilted the pad so Martin could see her drawing. 

“Not bad.”

“Not bad?” Amanda repeated, gasping in mock shock. 

Martin grinned and said nothing as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. 

“I really need to get home,” Amanda said a few moments later as she realised that Martin was falling asleep again. “I need a shower and a change of clothes.”

“Mmhmm,” Martin responded.

Amanda rolled her eyes. “Martin.” She poked him in the ribs and his eyes flung open. “You’re my ride, asshole.”

He grumbled as she pulled away and climbed out of bed once more. She caught him staring as she dropped the blanket and made sure to put on a show for him as she pulled on her clothes from the day before. 

When Martin made no move to get out of bed, Amanda was forced to grab hold of the sheets in both hands and yank. 

“Shit!” He sat up suddenly as the cool air hit his body. It was Amanda’s turn to get an eyeful and she laughed as he scrambled off the bed. “You’re evil.” He muttered under his breath as he padded over to the ensuite, unashamed of his nudity.

She listened to the tap run and the sound of brushing teeth as she ran her fingers through her hair to brush out the worst of the tangles. She retrieved her sandals and bag from the living room and sat down on the edge of the bed to finish getting ready.

“Hey Martin?” Amanda was pushing her sketchpad back in her bag as Martin was getting himself dressed. “You feel like sitting for me sometime?”

“Me?” He sounded doubtful. 

“Just for an hour or two...it would really help.”

Martin still wasn’t convinced. “I wouldn’t have to-”

“Stand stark naked in my studio?” Amanda teased “As much as I would enjoy that, you can stay dressed, I promise.”

Martin circled the bed and tugged at Amanda’s belt loops until she was pressed up against him. “I’ll think about it,” he finally answered her. “You want to come back here tonight?”

“Hmmm.” Amanda’s hands slipped around his body and up underneath his shirt. “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

Bea was standing in the doorway of her studio when Martin and Amanda finally arrived at Rowdy3. Her arms were folded across her chest and a there was a knowing look in her eyes.  

The trip over to Amanda’s apartment had taken longer than planned when Martin had decided to join her in the shower. She had been forced to banish Martin to the living room so she could finish getting ready, neither of them able to keep their hands off each other.

As they came to a stop outside Martin’s studio, Amanda reached up to kiss Martin before he ducked into his room and then she headed up the corridor to greet her new friend. 

“I want  _ all _ the details.” Bea’s arms were orange and purple and her bare feet were covered in green powder. Her rainbow hair had been pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head, saving it from also getting covered in paint. She followed Amanda, waiting for her to unlock her studio and then invited herself in to the room. “Well?” she prodded. 

Amanda couldn’t wipe the smile off her face and felt herself blushing. “It was good,  _ great _ even, we’re hanging out again tonight.”

“Ah, new love, I remember what it was like to not be able to keep my hands off Lizzie.” She sighed dramatically. 

Amanda laughed. “We’re not that bad are we?”

“It’s sickening, really.” Bea smirked, “I have seen worse, trust me. The guy who was in this studio before you would bring girls up here and you could hear them going at it through the walls.”

“Oh, God.” Amanda wrinkled her nose. “Do I need to go over this place with a blacklight?”

Bea grinned. “Probably.” 

As Amanda set up a new palette and a pot of water to rinse her brushes, she saw Bea in the corner of her eye going through her stack of discarded canvasses. 

“These are amazing.”

Amanda shrugged off the compliment. “I’m probably going to bin those.”

“Seriously?” Bea frowned. 

Amanda knew she was hard on herself when it came to her paintings, she was a perfectionist and praise of her work never really sunk in. Having people say nice things about her eye was a product of her work, but it wasn’t her motivation and she certainly didn’t seek out the affirmations. Her tutors at college were forever frustrated with her inability to finish her paintings as well as her critical view of every single one she did finish. 

“I got inspired this morning though, gonna start something new.”

“ _ Oh.” _ Bea’s left eyebrow rose into an arch. “And is that inspiration tall, blonde, strides around in leather and glasses?”

“You’re terrible.”

“I know,” Bea shrugged. 

“Don’t you have work to do?”

Eventually Amanda was able to kick her friend out of the room. As the door closed behind her, she noticed green footprints all over her floor. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go after this! Thank you for all the really nice comments!!

“Stop looking like I’m about to perform minor dentistry on you,” Amanda chided her boyfriend as he reluctantly entered her studio a few weeks later. The room had been set up ready for his arrival with a comfy chair placed in the middle of the floor and her easel and paints were already in position facing it. 

“Not used to this,” Martin admitted as he dropped himself down in the chair, “Being stared at for hours, makes me feel a little-”

“Exposed?” she guessed. He nodded. “Just pretend I’m not here.” It had taken a lot of coaxing and pleading from Amanda to finally get Martin to agree to model for her and she was not going to let him back out.

“No chance of that,” Martin replied with a look. 

Amanda hid her smile behind the large canvas. For the first half an hour, Martin sat stiffly in his seat, awkward and aware of the intense focus on him. After a while he began to relax his taut muscles and even seemed to enjoy the peace in the room and the soft sounds of brushes swiping across the canvas. 

“So why do you do it?”

Amanda peeked around the easel with a confused expression. “Why do I do what?”

“Paint,” Martin explained. 

She didn’t answer his question for a long moment as it tumbled around inside her head. “I couldn’t imagine not,” she said finally. She paused mid-stroke and dropped the brush in the nearby pot of water. “It’s like breathing or sleeping for me.”

Martin smiled. “I understand that.”

“This is going to sound crazy.” Amanda brought her spare stool over to where Martin was sitting and dropped onto it. She wrung her hands in her lap and stared down at her feet perched on the bottom rung.  

“Try me.” 

“I have these  _ visions... _ I see these people and shapes in my head and I just need to get them out my mind and paint what I’m seeing. It’s like they’re telling me something and I just have to listen.”

Martin reached over and linked his fingers through hers. “S’not crazy,” he reassured her. 

“No?”

“C’mere.” 

Amanda rose from the stool and lowered herself down onto Martin’s lap. His arms went around her waist as hers snaked around his neck. Pressing his face into the crook of her neck, he breathed in deeply and then began leaving kisses along her collarbone and up to her jaw. 

“I really have to finish this painting,” she tried to protest. 

Martin didn’t let her up for another fifteen minutes. By the time she climbed off him, her hair was a mess and her heart was thumping in her chest. It took her a moment to get her breath back and she glared at Martin who was resting back in the chair looking much too pleased with himself. 

“For  _ that  _ you can sit there for an extra hour.” 

“Can I nap?” he joked. 

Amanda flicked her wet brush at him.

* * *

 

When she finally finished the canvas, she refused to show Martin; tucking the frame in a corner of the room and away from prying eyes. “You’ll see it at the show,” she reassured him. “Promise not to ruin the surprise.”

Martin raised his hand into a scout sign though Amanda highly doubted the man had ever been a boy scout. “I swear.”

His pledge reassured her and she rewarded him with a deep kiss that kept the couple distracted for a few minutes. 

“The gang going to Wendimoor tonight?” she asked. 

Martin nodded. “Want me to come get you?”

“Nah, you go, I want to work late tonight.”

“Not  _ too _ late.” 

Amanda liked working when it was dark and quiet outside, it let her focus completely on her work. Martin wasn’t so keen about her being alone in the building and she knew he worried but stopped short of playing the overprotective boyfriend and trusted her to look after herself. He’d seen the mace she kept in her bag and she had taken a couple of self defence classes back at college. 

“I’ll come by yours when I’m finished, leave the key under the mat?”

“I should just get you one cut,” he muttered against her cheek as he kissed her one last time and then left her to her painting. 

His comment played on her mind as she continued with a canvas she’d been working on for a while. They'd been a couple now pretty much since her arrival and she had loved every minute of it. She now spent most nights back at his, sometimes joining the others for drinks at the bar first, other times they went straight home for some alone time. On a couple of rare occasions they had even gone out on actual dates. 

They both knew, however, just how quickly they had come together and neither one had dared bring up anything about the future, certainly nothing about commitment or the L word yet. She wasn’t sure if it was a fear of jinxing just how good things had been or the constant reminder that Amanda’s contract at the studio was up in a few months. She hadn’t yet talked to Martin about potentially extending her lease. 

If she did extend the lease, they would definitely need to have a conversation. Whilst Martin hadn’t given her any indication their relationship was no strings attached, there was still a fear in the back of her mind that maybe he wasn’t as invested as she was. 

She nearly lost track of time as she attempted to finish the painting. Glancing at the time on her phone hours later she swore out loud before quickly tidying everything up and jogging out of the building to her car. As she dug around her bag for her car keys she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Adrenaline flooded her system and she held her breath as the person neared her. Instead of her keys, she wrapped her hand tightly around her bottle of pepper spray. As soon as she felt the figure step up close behind her she span around fast, lifted the spray up and pressed until a huge plume of the mace sprayed into the man’s face. 

As the man screamed out in pain, she realised who she had just sprayed. “Shit, Todd?”

“What the hell, Amanda?” Todd wiped at his face but his eyes were already red and swollen and he coughed and spluttered where the spray had got into his mouth. 

“You snuck up on me in a dark parking lot, Todd, you’re an complete idiot,” she shouted, adding insult to injury. “Come on, get in the car, I’ll take you back to yours and help you wash your eyes.” She finally unlocked the car, helped him into the passenger seat and then quickly climbed into the driver's seat.

* * *

 

“What on  _ earth _ were you doing, Todd?” she asked him as she ran a flannel under the tap and then placed the cool cloth over her brother’s face. Sharkey was clearly pleased to see her and walked in between her legs in a figure of eight, brushing up against Amanda's ankles and purring loudly. 

“I was passing by, thought you might be working late,” Todd explained, hissing as Amanda began wiping his tear streaked face. “I wanted to make sure you got home safe.”

“You don’t sneak up on a woman,  _ ever, _ ” Amanda growled. “Could have been a lot worse than pepper spray you know.” She rinsed the cloth and then handed it over to Todd to continue cleaning his sore skin. “How many times do I have to tell you I can look after myself?”

Her phone beeped and she unlocked the screen to see a message from Martin wondering where she was. He had expected her arrival at his apartment over an hour ago, “Shit, now you’ve got Martin practically sending out a search party for me.” Amanda cursed her brother.

“Wait, who the hell is Martin?” Todd frowned. 

“None of your business.” Amanda quickly typed out a message back to Martin to explain her absence. A moment later she received one back, asking her if she wanted him to kick Todd’s ass for her. She laughed. 

“What’s he saying?” he asked, attempting to peer over her shoulder to read the messages they were sending back and forth. She was surprised he could even read through his blurry vision. 

Amanda smirked. “Like I said, none of your business.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the really nice comments on this story. I really enjoyed writing this and I do think I'll be revisiting this universe in the near future.

In the weeks and days leading up Amanda’s exhibition, her time spent at the studio increased and the time spent at Martin’s decreased. At least he understood the stress of putting on a show having had a few himself and she was thankful he didn’t try and compete for her attention. Instead, he made sure she ate on a regular basis and began driving her home each night. She was too exhausted to drive herself and it meant that more often than not he drove her back to his and he made sure she got into a bed and actually slept. When her exhibition was all over, she had big plans to thank him properly. 

There had been one brief misunderstanding, a couple of weeks before her show, when Martin had entered her studio one day to find her hugging a man who was definitely not her brother but Amanda’s tolerance for nonsense was low and dragged Martin back into her room to meet her agent Silas. Amanda made sure Martin knew that Silas was very happily married to a guy called Panto and her boyfriend soon relaxed, sending Amanda an apologetic look. 

The long hours had paid off and Amanda was pleased as she would ever get with the fifteen pieces she had chosen to show. Silas had agreed with her and was convinced it was her best work to date. The guest list he had pulled together for the opening night included gallery owners, buyers and private collectors, all with fairly deep pockets. The residents of the Rowdy3 and Todd had also been given invitations and Amanda was trying not to think about Todd and Martin meeting for the first time. 

She had spent the last few days hanging her work in the exhibition, finishing with only a couple of hours to go and leaving her covered in sweat and absolutely exhausted. Arriving back home, she resisted the urge to fall into bed and stay there for a few days and instead jumped in the shower, rinsed off all the dirt and began getting ready for the opening night event which would be starting in just over an hour. 

The look on Martin’s face when he walked in and his eyes fell on her was worth the effort. She had gone out and bought a new dress specially for the evening and she enjoyed the way his eyes travelled up from her heels to the black silk dress with delicate straps and a low neckline that showed off just the right amount of pale skin. Her hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off her new shaved undercut and she had chosen a dark smokey eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner to finish the look. 

“Holy Hannah!” Cross exclaimed. “You scrub up well, ‘Manda.” Vogel agreed with a wolf whistle.

“Thanks guys!” Amanda grinned as she welcomed them. 

Martin sent his friends a warning with a hard stare and broke away from the group to join Amanda’s side. “He’s right you know,” he said, low enough for Amanda’s ears only. She couldn’t help the blush that spread across her cheeks and made a mental note to wear the dress again for him soon in a more private setting. 

“So,” Amanda spoke to the group as she slid her hand down into Martin’s “There’s drink by the window, artwork on the walls, go enjoy yourselves, I need to go show something to my guy,” She squeezed Martin’s hand and then tugged him away from the others. 

“Where we goin’?” 

“it’s time I showed you your painting.” She replied as she guided him through the exhibition space and then stopped in front of a single painting hanging on one wall. He’d seen some of her other work so recognised her style of muted colours and a hodgepodge of thick brushstrokes and almost photo realistic details but it was the first time seeing this particular piece. 

“This is me?” Martin’s eyes didn’t leave the portrait. She had captured his face looking straight forward, the eyes portraying the stoic look he often sported but with a softness Amanda knew was there underneath. It was raw and honest and a hundred percent Martin. 

“What do you think?” Amanda asked nervously. She hadn’t yet admitted to him that it was the first time she had painted someone she cared for like she did for Martin. “Well?” she prodded impatiently when he stayed silent. 

“How much is it?” he finally spoke, his eyes still fixed on the large square frame. 

“This one? Not for sale,” Amanda answered. 

“Good,” Martin eventually tore his eyes away to look at Amanda. Her eyes searched his for a reaction, good or bad to the painting. “It’s…” For a moment it looked like he was searching for the right words. He smiled when he clearly found them, pulling Amanda into an embrace before speaking. “It’s not bad.”

Amanda snorted and dropped her head to his chest. “You’re an idiot.” She felt his lips against her crown and a shiver ran down her spine. 

They pulled apart when their friends entered the room and started gushing over her paintings. She grinned so much it actually hurt her face. 

The meeting of Martin and Todd was awkward and a little too macho for Amanda’s liking. She rolled her eyes at their posturing and told them both to stop being idiots. She didn’t have time to be dealing with her overprotective brother and her boyfriend’s antics. After a short stand-off, the two men shook hands and parted ways but Amanda somehow knew that wouldn’t be the last of it. 

As other people arrived and viewed her work, Martin stayed close, his eyes never leaving her as she worked the room; laughing at bad jokes from potential buyers and accepting praise from critics uncomfortably. She saw Silas shaking hands with a number of the guests and she knew she’s sold most of her works in just a few hours.

As the wine was finished off and people started to leave, Martin navigated around the last few stragglers, slipped his hand into Amanda’s and pulled her through the building. She went with him easily, questioning his actions but trusting him as he led her outside.  

“Crap, it’s cold out here.” Amanda hugged her body for warmth and then sighed in relief as Martin pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shaking shoulders. “What are we doing out here?”

“I have somethin’ for you.” 

Out of nowhere, Martin produced a small rectangle present, poorly wrapped with a bow stuck on one corner. 

Like a kid on Christmas day, Amanda ripped at the paper until it revealed a small frame with a photo inside. She hadn’t seen the black and white photo before but she recognised the moment. She was sitting on Martin’s bed, facing away from the camera. You could make out the sketchpad on her lap and the way she was wholly focused on it. The blanket she had used to cover herself hung loose across her back, revealing smooth skin and her spine protruding in a straight line down the middle. The morning light was streaming through the window behind her and made Amanda look almost angelic. It was an instant of perfection captured on film and it took her breath away.  

“Oh...wow,” she gasped. “I love it, I-” She looked up at Martin with shining eyes. “I love  _ you _ .” The words came out of her mouth with ease, surprising even herself. “I love you,” she repeated. 

Martin’s hands immediately cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a deep kiss. She could taste the wine he’d been drinking and revelled in the feelings he was trying to pour into the kiss. 

“Love you too,” he admitted a moment later as they breathed heavily into each other. “Was waiting for you to say it.” 

She slapped his shoulder in response. “You should have said something.”

“Didn’t want you to feel like you have to stick around for me,” he confessed. 

“You don’t have to worry about that, I’ve already extended my studio lease for another year.”

“Oh yeah?”   


Amanda nodded. “Very sorry to say you’re stuck with me.”

Martin frowned. “Sound’s terrible, what does it involve exactly?” he pretended. 

“More of the same, really,” Amanda played along. “Making out in your dark room, trying not to get paint on the sheets every time we have sex, the usual.”

“And what do you think would happen if I asked you to move in with me?”

Amanda’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. When she composed herself she was grinning like an idiot. “I think if you asked I would say yes.”

“Huh.” 

“Well, are you going to ask?” she enquired cheekily. 

He considered it for a moment and then kissed her again. She sank into his embrace happily. It didn’t really matter if he asked her in a minute or in a year, she already knew she wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I know exactly where to hang this photo,” she told him as they walked back into the exhibition. 

“Where?”

“I was thinking right over our bed, next to my painting of course, what do you think?”

Martin smiled. “Not bad.”


End file.
